Sewing machine shirring means



June 26, 1956 J. M. WASI-:BURN ErAL 2,751,867

SEWING MACHINE SHIRRING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 5, 1952 [n venzors: J'ohlz M Wa sh/I7 urn rnardNPzerc@ Their Azfornqys June 26, 1956 Filed Aug. 5, 1952 J. M. WASHBURN E TAL SEWING MACHINE SHIRRING MEANS 5 Shee ts-Sheet 2 ernardNPierce 35 {MQLCM June 26, 1956 J. M. wAsHBuRN ErAL 2,751,867

SEWING MACHINE SHIRRING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed'Aug. 5, 1952 l! mb@ m @5am m nmN A ,V07 wnmm l: [mwa J m w nited States atent SEWING MACHINE SHIRRING MEANS John M. Washburn and Bernard N. Pierce, West Hartford, Conn., assignors to The Merrow Machine Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application AugustL 5, 1952, Serial N o. 302,682

10 Claims. (Cl. 112-134) This invention relates to sewing machine shirring or gathering mechanism of the type wherein work engaging devices operable to feed work toward the needle and similar devices operable to feed work from the needle are moved in work feeding strokes of respectively different lengths so that certain material between the front and rear feeding devices is fulled more or less according to the degree of differential of the strokes of respective feeding devices. Such fulling of material may be applied as either one or more plies comprising the work advance to suitable stitching elements. Such mechanism is especially useful for stitching two work plies together to fulfill requirements where only one of the plies is subjected to the fulling action. Control of the amount or degree to which this fulling is effected enables an operator to select the exact treatment required to secure accurate disposition of one ply of work upon another ply as the two plies are seamed together. This fulling may be distributed in minute amounts, and imperceptible as ordinarily observed, or applied in greater degree to produce ornamental shirring.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved shirring or gathering mechanism containing few parts, of simple form, arranged for convenience in assembly, and effective in operation of the machine for producing finished work of superior quality.

An important feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of work engaging surfaces on the needle plate with respect to cooperating surfaces on the presserfoot. Another feature concerns the support of a separator blade entirely by the presserfoot to separate an J upper ply of work from a lower ply while the respective plies are diierently acted upon by feeding means and the adjustment of the blade with respect to one of the surfaces of the needle plate to cooperate with work feeding devices extending through apertures in that surface.

Particular advantages to be derived from the invention will become hereinafter more apparent in the light of the following detailed description and reference to the accompanying drawings while the novelty of the invention is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the left end of a Merrow type curved needle, overseaming machine with certain parts in section and with parts impertinent to the invention omitted or only partly shown;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan View of parts associated with the presserfoot and shown in side elevation in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation view of feed mechanism elements and controlling means therefor as seen from the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged View partly in section indicating relation of work to feeding elements.

Referring to the drawings, certain of the illustrated 2,751,867 Patented June 26, 1956 parts characteristic of the Merrow type sewing machine may be described briefly as follows. The machine frame 1 is provided at its head or left-hand end with a bearing 2 for a lower or main shaft 3 and with a bearing 4 for an auxiliary or upper shaft 5. For rotating shafts 3 and 5 in unison, means (not shown) are housed within a mechanism compartment 6 formed within frame 1. A curved needle 9 is held in a carrier 10 pivoted on a stud 11 threaded into the machine frame. By means of a link 12 connecting needle carrier 1G with upper shaft 5, the needle is movable in an arcuate path to cooperate with loopers (not shown) in the formation of overedge chain stitching.

The feeding mechanism includes a front feed dog 15 and a rear feed dog 16 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 6) which are movable to engage work W, which as shown may comprise a lower ply 19 and an upper ply 20. For feeding work W in rear of and in proximity to needle 9, rear feed dog 16 cooperates with the usual presserfoot 21 which may be of the type having a shank 22 rigid therewith (as shown) or of the type wherein the foot is hinged either at its rear end or center to the shank as is common practice in this art. Presserfoot 21 is movable from its normal position to permit convenient access to needle 9 and associated parts, such movement being provided for by pivotal joint including stud 23.

In operation upon the arrangement of work shown in Fig. 6 the usual function of front feed dog 15 is to advance the lower ply of work faster than the work as a whole is advanced by the rear feed dog 16, this action being effective to produce fulling or shirring of the under ply in accordance with practice common heretofore. In differential feed arrangements of this nature it is desirable that the front feed dog may for different types of work be rendered elective in greater or lesser degree. That is if shirring of the lower ply were to be omitted the front feed dog would be rendered ineffective or substantially so and both plies of work would be advanced in unison and for an equal distance by the rear feed dog at each cycle of its action. As fully described in copending application of Edward R. Lamoureux and Bernard N. Pierce, entitled Feed Control for Shirring Mechanism, Serial Number 301,426, led July 29, 195,2, the feed dogs 15 and 16 are associated with actuating mechanism driven by the lower or main shaft 3 and this mechanism includes means whereby the front feed dog may be established in different fields or orbits of movement where it is effective respectively to feed the work in greater or lesser degree.

Needie plate 1S is formed with a front work engaging surface 24 and a similar rear work engaging surface 25 separated by an inclined work engaging surface 26 of short extent. The front work engaging surface 24 is in a plane slightly more distant from the sole portion 27 at the toe end of presserfoot 21 than is the rear work engaging surface 25 and by this arrangement room is provided for the preferably resilient distal end 2S of a resilient separator blade 29 between sole portion 27 and the front work engaging surface 24 in proximity with inclined needle plate surface 26. Blade 29 is secured at one end to an L-shaped carrier 3% by rivets 31. The short branch 32 of carrier 3i) is supported by an L-shaped bracket 35 held by rivets as 36 on the toe portion 21 of presserfoot 21. Connection of carrier 3i) to bracket 35 comprises a screw 37 which serves with a washer 38 to clamp the short branch 32 of carrier 30 to short branch 39 of bracket 35 in such angular adjustment as to properly locate the distal end 28 of separator blade 29 relative to front work engaging surface 24 of the needle plate. This laterally disposed joint of the short branches respectively of bracket 35 and carrier 36 secures separator blade 29 to presserfoot 21 with a passageway therebetween to accommodate a margin of work material. With work comprising two plies of material as 19 and 20 introduced into the machine for stitching, one ply 20 extends over blade 29 and the other ply extends under the blade.'v`

Beneath the toe end of presserfoot 21 lower work engaging surface 24 of the needle plate 18 isformed with apertures or slots 40 through which front feed dog 1.5 extends vto cooperate with separator blade 29 in feeding lower ply 19 tov/ard the needle. Apertures 4l) may extend rearwardly beyond the inclined surface 26 to the upper surface 25 of needle plate 18 so feed dog l5 will actually feed the lower ply 19 upwardly along inclined surface 26 to facilitate the shirring or gathering Yof the lower ply. Similarly, upper work engaging-surface 2.5 iS formed with an aperture or slot 41 through which rear feed dog 16 extends to cooperate with the work engaging surface at the heel end of presserfoot 21 to feed the work rearwardly of the needle.

As an example of operation of the machine, let it be assumed that the two plies 19 and 29 of material are to be seamed together with one of the plies intermittently shirred. The ply 19 that is to be shirred is introduced below separator blade 29, `that is between the separator blade and the needle plate which places it in position to be engaged by front feed and pressed against the resilient separator blade in an area adjacent inclined needle plate surface 26. Work ply to which the ply 19 is to be sewed in shirred condition is placed over separator blade 29 and in engagement with presserfoot 21 where the rear portion of the presserfoot is opposed by needle plate surface 25, the work in this area being in position to be engaged by rear feed dog 16.

Adjustment of the position of separator blade 29 relative to needle plate surface 24 and the opposing surface of front feed dog 15 is furnished by pivotal screw 37 and clamp washer 38. It will be noted that separator blade 29 is practically an integral part of presserfoot 21 in the respect that it moves with the presserfoot and in no way interferes with the usual presserfoot mobility that facilitates required manpiulation of the work. Moreover, the resilient blade serves as part of the presserfoot by cooperating with front feed dog 15 to feed the work.

Referring to Fig. 6 it will be observed that work ply 19 as it is advanced by feed dog 15 is opposed by resilient separator blade 29 in proximity to inclined needle plate surface 26, said surface being conducive at this point to direct the advancing ply into an initial pair of loops as at 42 which, as successively produced in multiple, become the shirred material that is stitched to the upper ply. Upper ply 20 above this Zone of fold formation of the lower ply 19 is directed by upper surface of separator blade 29 to the underside or sole surface 27 on presserfoot 21 thereby leaving ample space between the two plies to accommodate freely initial folding of the lower ply.

As changes in construction and different embodiments could be made without departing from the invention, it is intended that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a sewing machine shirring mechanism having a pair of differential feeding devices and a presserfoot 0pposed to said devices, a needle plate provided with a pair of Work engaging surfaces disposed at different levels with respect to said presserfoot and a sloping surface extending between said two surfaces, said pair of surfaces being formed with apertures through which said feeding devices cooperate with said presserfoot, and a separator blade extending over one of said feeding devices into proximity with said sloping surface between the levels of said work engaging surfaces to direct work material advancing between said blade and the last mentioned feeding device into contact with said sloping surface whereby further advancement of said material over said sloping surface forms said material into uniform loops beneath said presserfoot.

2. Sewing machine shirring mechanism comprising in combination with differential feeding means, a presserfoot having a work engaging surface terminating longitudinally respectively at the heel and toe of the presserfoot, a needle plate having a work engaging surface opposed tothe presserfoot surface adjacent the heel and a work engaging surface opposed to the presserfoot surface adjacent the toc, said surfaces of the needle plate being disposed in different planes with a sloping surface extending between them, and a separator blade extending between the presserfoot toe surface and the opposed surface of the needle plate into proximity with said sloping surfaces between said planes to direct work material advancing beneath said separator blade into contact with said sloping surface whereby further advancement of said material over said sloping surface forms said material into uniform loops beneath said presserfoot.

3. Sewing machine shirring mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein the separator blade is supported by and movable with the presserfoot.

4. Sewing machine shirring Vmechanism comprising in combination with differential feeding means, aV presserfoot having a work engaging surface terminating longitudinally respectively at the heel and toe of thejpresserfoot, a needle plate having a work engaging surface opposed to the presserfoot surface adjacent the heel, a lower work engaging surface opposed to the presserfoot surface adjacent the toe, and an intermediate inclined work engaging surface, and a separator blade extending between the presserfoot surface adjacent the toe and said lower surface of the needle plate into proximity to said intermediate inclined surface between the levelsrof said work engaging surfaces to direct work material advancing beneath lsaid separator blade into contact with said intermediate inclined surface whereby further advancement of said material over said inclined surface'forms said material into uniform loops beneath said presserfoot.

5. Sewing machine shirring mechanism as defined in claim 4 wherein the separator blade is supported by and movable with the presserfoot.

6. Sewing machine shirring mechanism comprising in combination with differential feeding means7 a presserfoot having a work engaging surface terminating longitudinally respectively at the heel and toe of the presserfoot, a needle plate having a work engaging surface opposed to the presserfoot surface adjacent the heel and a work engaging surface opposed to the presserfoot surface adjacent the toe, said surfaces of the needle plate being disposed in different planes and connected by an intermediate inclined surface, a separator blade extending between the presserfoot toe surface and the opposed surface of the needle plate into proximity with said intermediate inclined surface between' said planes, to direct work material advancing'- between said blade and said needle plate into contact with said intermediate inclined surface whereby further advancement of said material over said inclined surface forms said material into uniform loops beneath said presserfoot, and means supporting said separator blade on said presserfoot for movement therewithY and permitting adjustment of said separator blade to vary its relation to the opposed surface of the needle plate. f

7. Sewing machineshirring mechanism comprising a presserfoot having a work engaging surfac`e-terminating longitudinally respectively at the heel andtoe of the presserfoot, a needle plate having an upper work engaging surface opposed to the presserfoot adjacent the heel and a lower worlc engaging Vsurface opposed to the presserfoot adjacent the toe with a sloping Ywork engaging surface extending between said upper and lower surfaces, a separator blade extending between said presserfoot toe surface and said lower rwork engaging surface of the needle plate into proximity with said sloping surface below the level of said upper work engaging surface, a front feed dog extending through an aperture in said lower work engaging surface to cooperate with said separator blade, Said blade and said front feed dog being operable to direct work material advancing therebetween into contact with said sloping surface whereby further advancement of said material over said sloping surface forms said material into uniform loops beneath said presserfoot, a rear feed dog extending through an aperture in said upper work engaging surface to cooperate with the presserfoot heel surface, and means for diierentially actuating said front and rear feed dogs.

8. Sewing machine shirring mechanism as defined in claim 7 wherein said separator blade is supported on and movable with said presserfoot by means permitting adjustment of the blade in relation to said lower work engaging surface of the needle plate.

9. Sewing machine shirring mechanism comprising a front feed dog operable to engage work at an area in front of the needle, a rear feed dog operable to engage work at an area adjacent to and to the rear of the needle, means for differentially actuating the front and rear feed dogs, a presserfoot for engagement with Work in opposition to the rear feed dog, a needle plate having its work engaging surface in front of the needle in a plane below the plane of its work engaging surface extending to the rear of the needle, said surfaces having an inclined surface leading from one to the other, and a separator blade supported to extend over the front feed dog into proximity with said inclined surface between said planes to direct work material passing between said blade and said front feed dog into contact with said inclined sur- 6 face whereby further advancement of said material over said inclined surface forms said material into uniform loops beneath said presserfoot.

10. Sewing machine shirring mechanism comprising a front feed dog operable to engage work at an area in front of the needle, a rear feed dog operable to engage work at an area adjacent and to the rear of the needle, means for differentially actuating the front and rear feed dogs, a presserfoot for engagement with work in opposition to the rear feed dog, a needle plate having its lower work engaging surface in front of the needle in a plane below the plane of its upper work engaging surface extending to the rear of the needle, said upper and lower surfaces having an inclined surface leading from one to the other, and a separator blade supported on the front of the presserfoot and extending over the front feed dog into proximity with said inclined surface between said planes to direct work material passing between said blade and said front feed dog into contact with said inclined surface whereby further advancement of said material over said inclined surface forms said material into uniform loops beneath said presserfoot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,161 Riviere Nov. 3, 1936 375,681 Parsons Dec. 27, 1887 1,109,455 Onderdonk Sept. 1, 1914 1,506,916 Moifatt Sept. 2, 1924 1,864,502 Maier June 21, 1932 1,893,582 Fine `lan. 10, 1933 2,381,977 Mann Aug. 14, 1945 

